Carlos Bernard on Bringing Tony Almeida Back in 24: Legacy

''Each time you see him he is a little different.''

By
James Pugh

While 24: Legacy is definitely in the same universe as the original show, there have only been a few Easter eggs for fans to identify so far in the story. That changes in Monday’s new episode, as Tony Almeida’s return bridges the gap, solidifying the connection between the original long-running series and Legacy.

I recently got to chat with Carlos Bernard about his return to the franchise and how he sees his character as part of an iconic piece of television pop culture.

In addiiton, you can check out this exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Tony's return, featuring the 24: Legacy cast and producers discussing what it means to bring the character into the series.

The last time we saw Tony Almeida, he was planning his escape from prison, as seen in the shot called Solitary feature on the the 24: Live Another Day Blu-ray. As Bernard explained, “Solitary functioned as an out. They love the character and knew they wanted to use him again. The time constraint of the show made it hard. You can’t take time away from the main story for a prison break.”

When writers began work on a rebooted version of the show, they knew just who to reach out to. “I’m always in contact with the writers,” noted Bernard. “We’re friends, we hang out. They told me about the extra scene. They weren’t sure if there would be another season, or a spinoff. Eventually they told me about [Legacy’s] Bin Khalid and the plan. I would be the only original character to help the spinoff.”

Arguably no character in the 24 universe has changed as much as Tony has over his stint on the series. This fact is not lost on Bernard, who remarked, “[Tony]’s an evolving character. He’s never really the same person as he was before. Each time you see him he is a little different.”

It has been a long transformation from hero to villain, and now transforming again to a shade somewhere in between. As Bernard put it, “He’s a very damaged individual. That time in solitary can really mess with a person’s mind. He’s on the run, he has to live in the shadows. He can’t really have a life, except that of a mercenary. [He’s] not going to be buying a house in Toluca Lake. He’s suspicious of everyone and doesn’t trust the government.”

It was clear that Bernard is excited to play Tony again. In speaking about his character, he thinks back on the early days fondly, recalling, “[I] was a guest star in the pilot, hoping to catch on as a series regular. I was free to go do other things but I hoped. I held out for 24 because I knew it was different. I wanted to see if it was what I thought it was.”

To a 24 fan the Tony Almeida story is one of legend. You remember in Season 1 when he finally started to work with Jack. You cheered the first time you saw him every season. You were happy when you saw the wedding rings. You were heartbroken when Michelle was killed, and you wondered why there wasn’t a silent clock when he “died” in season 5. Tony is very different than Jack, and that is a good thing.

As Bernard put it, “In a lot of ways he is ruled by his emotions. He lets his emotions get in the way. He isn’t as good at compartmentalizing them as Jack Bauer. I think that’s why people still care about him because he is still so human.”

Tony Almeida returns to the 24 universe in 24: Legacy this Monday night at 9:00pm ET/PT on FOX.